Terminal connection



Aug. 14, 1934- w. B. PIETENPOI. x-:r A1. 1,970,022

TERMINAL CONNECTION Filed Aug. 18, 195o A TTORNEYS Patented Aug. 14, 1934 UNITED STATES TERMINAL CONNECTION William B.

Pietenpol and Frank C. Walz Boulder, Colo.

Application August is, 1930, serial No. 476,124

9 Claims.

This invention relates to terminal connections for storage batteries, one of its objects being to provide a connection between a battery terminal lhereinafter referred to as a post and an electrical conductor of a circuit having its source in the battery, in which lpermanent and dependable conductivity is combined with rigidity, durability and simplicity of construction.

Another object is. to provide a simple method and means to establish a connection of the character above stated, and still another object resides in providing a simple and eifective method and means for securing the conductor of electricity in the connection.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the course of the following description. p

In the accompanying drawing in the several views of which like parts are similarly designated,

Figure 1 represents a sectional elevation of the completed connection,

Figure 2, a sectional elevation of the battery post and therewith associatedparts comprised in the invention,

Figure 3, a plan view of the post shown in Figure 2,

Figure 4, a perspective view of the conductor 4of electricity and the therewith connected part of the connection, together with a tool adapted for use in connecting the conductor to said part,

Figure 5, an enlarged sectional elevation of the conductor and the therewith connected part of the terminal connection; and

Figure 6, a section on the line 6 6, Figure 5.

Referring further to the drawing, the battery indicated at 5, has a post 6 of conventional form. To this post is connected the conductor of electricity 7 usually provided in the form of a cable. The method and means of establishing this connection in accordance with the present invention will now be described.

Fastened at an end of the conductor-cable 7 is a head 8 provided with a socket 9 into which the cable loosely extends. The interior diameter of the socket exceeds the diameter of the cable inside the socket, for the application of a fusible metal that connects the cable to the head. A pour-hole 12 in the wall of the socket admits the fusible metal to the space between the socket and the cable, and a suitable tool 13 is used to hold the cable and the head in their proper relative position while being joined together by the fusible metal and to conne the molten metal within the socket, until it has cooled to solid form.

The tool may bel of any convenient construction and forms per se no part of the present invention. In the form shown in the drawing, the tool consists of a pair of tongues pivoted ai; 14 and having semi-circular jaws 15 adapted to conjointly embrace the cable and the socketed portion of its head and to close the space between the wall of the socket and the end-portion of the cable into which the molten metal is poured. The tool has an opening 16 registering with the pour-hole of the socket. Any suitable metal or alloy may be employed to effect the joint between the cable and its head, an alloy such as type metal being preferred because of its expansion upon solidication. It is advisable to bare the end-portion of the cable, which portion together with the adjoining part of the insulated cable proper, is inserted in the socket. The metal or alloy poured into the socket then forms a noncorrodible and acid-proof joint with the insulating material of the cable.

After the end-portion of the cable is inserted in the socket of the head, the two parts are held in coaxial spaced relation to each other by means of the tool. The molten metal is then poured into the space between the cable and the wall of the socket through the registering openings 16 and 12, andthe parts are held in the tool until the metal or alloy, shown at'17 in Figures 5 and 6, has solidified. The jaws of the tool are formed to embrace the socket along its entire extent to prevent deformation in the event that a part of the socket wall is melted by the contact of the molten metal or alloy. The joint between the cable and its head, produced in the above described manner, is rigid, non-corrodible and makes a perfect electrical Contact between the conductive parts.

The cable is secured to the post of the battery through the medium of its head. In order to effect this connection in accordance with the present invention, the post 6 is hollowed to provide a. well 18 and the head 15 is provided with a laterally projecting nger 19 adapted to enter the well in spaced relation to the wall thereof.

The joint between the post and the linger is produced by means of an alloy which after the linger 19 has been placed within the well 18 is molten by the application of heat. The alloy in its solid state has been shown at 20 in Figure 2 as placed on the bottom of the well. The nger of the head at the end of the cable is placed upon the solid alloy in the well in spaced relation to the wall of the latter and heat is applied to the finger and the post. The heat melts the alloy and the latter in its molten condition fiows into the space around the finger, as illustrated in Figure 1. The parts are held in their relative positions until the molten metal has cooled to solidification. The joint thus produced is rigid, and the alloy lining 18' having amalgamated with the metal of the post and the head, insures a perfect and permanent electrical and non-corrodible connection between the parts. The heat may be applied to the post and finger in any desired manner, but a very efficient and simple method has been shown in the drawing.

A small annular trough 21 is placed around the post on top of the battery, to receive a small quantity of an inflammable liquid, such as alcohol or gasoline. It is essential that the fusible alloy in the well be of a low melting point, well below the melting point of the metal or metals of which the head and the battery post are composed, and the heat generated by the ignited liquid in the trough is sufficient to melt the alloy in a short time. The trough, fitting snugly around the terminal post, remains permanently in place on the battery so that it may be used to disconployed and as stated hereinbefore, it is necessary to employ a fusible alloy of a lower melting point to effect the joint between the parts. Woods metal having a melting point of about sixty-five degrees centigrade is well adapted for the purl pose, but other alloys, such as Lipowitz, v. Hauer,

Silliman etc. may be used to advantage.

The joint between the head and the electrical conductor and the joint-between the head and the battery post, made in accordance with our invention, cooperate to form a terminal connec- 30A tion of high conductivity, non-corrodible, and extremely solid. The connection may be broken and re-made at will, by the mere application of heat and the method and means for applying the heat as shown and hereinabove described, is practical, simple, constantly available and very effective.

It is a distinctive feature of the invention that the terminal connection is readily applied to batteries already in use,'by merely hollowing the terminal post thereof.

It will be understood that with obvious modifications, the well may be formed in the cable head and a nger on the terminal of the battery inserted in the well ofthe head and secured by a molten metal or alloy as before.

The expression, metals corrosion-resistant to the fumes of the electrolyte, as used in some of the claims is intended to include alloys of the metals.

What we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A terminal connection for storage batteries comprising a battery terminal and a head for an electrical conductor, one of the parts having a Well and the other part having a finger in the well, in spaced relation to the wall thereof, and a fusible alloy of a melting point lower than that of the said parts, within the space in amalgamated connection with the parts, the well being'closed at its bottom to retain the alloy in its molten condition upon disconnection of the parts, for use in repeatedconnection of the parts.

2. A terminal connection for storage batteries comprising a battery terminal having a well, and a head for an electrical conductor, projecting in the well, a fusible alloy of a melting point lower than that of the two parts, to form an amalgamated connection between the parts, within the well, and a stove in association with the battery to melt the alloy.

3. A terminal connection for storage batteries comprising a battery terminal having a well, and a head for an electrical conductor, projecting in the well. a fusible alloy of a melting point lower than that of the two parts, to form an amalgamated connection between the parts, within the well, and a receptacle for fuel, associated with the terminal, to melt the alloy.

4. A storage battery having a terminal hollowed to receive an end-part of an electrical conductor, a fusible alloy in the terminal, and a fuel-receptacle mounted on the terminal.

5. A terminal connection for storage batteries comprising a battery terminal and a head for an electrical conductor, one of the parts having a Well, into which the other part projects, a fusible alloy of a melting point lower than that of the two parts, to form an amalgamated connection vbetween the parts, within the Well, and a stove mounted on one of said parts, to melt the alloy.

6. A terminal connection for storage batteries 'utilizing an acid electrolyte, comprising a battery terminal and a head member for an electrical conductor, both parts being composed of metals corrosion-resistant to fumes of the electrolyte, one of the parts having a well and the 'other part projecting into said well in spaced relationship to the wall thereof, and a fusible corrosion-resistant alloy of a melting point appreciably lower than that of said parts Within the space in amalgamated connection with said parts, the lower meltingrpoint of the alloyv permitting the parts upon heating of the alloy to be disconnected without injury to said parts.

7. A terminal connection for storage batteries utilizing an acid electrolyte, comprising a battery terminal and a head member for an electrical conductor, both parts being composed of metals corrosion-resistant to fumes of the electrolyte, and one of the parts having a well provided with a bottom and the other part projecting into said well in spaced relationship to the wall thereof, and a fusible corrosion-resistantalloy within thespace and adapted to be. retained by the bottom of the well when in a molten condition, said alloy having a melting point appreciably lower than said parts, thereby permitting the latter upon heating of the alloy to be disconnected without injury.

8. A terminal connection for storage batteries utilizing an acid electrolyte, comprising a battery terminal and a head member for an electrical conductor, both parts being composed of metals corrosion-resistant to fumes of the electrolyte, and one of the parts having a well provided with a bottom and the other part projecting into said well in spaced lrelationship to the wall thereof, and a fusible corrosion-resistant lead base alloy within the space and adapted to be retained by the bottom of the well when in a molten condition, said alloy having a melting point appreciably lower than said parts, thereby permitting the latter upon heating of the alloy to be disconnected without injury. v

9. A terminal connection for storage batteries utilizing an acid electrolyte, comprising a battery terminal and a head member for an electrical conductor, both parts being composed of metals corrosion-resistant to fumes of lthe electrolyte, one of the parts having a well and the other part projecting into said well in spaced relationship to the wall thereof, and a fusible corrosion-resistant alloy typified by Woods metal and having a melting point appreciably lower than that of said parts within the space in amalgamated connection with said parts, the low melting point of the alloy permitting the parts upon heating of the alloy to be disconnected without injury to said parts.

WILLIAM B. PIETENPOL. FRANK C. WALZ. 

